


Mistakes

by UpsideDownCats



Category: The Infernal Devices Series - Cassandra Clare, The Last Hours Series - Cassandra Clare, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Explosions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-25
Updated: 2020-08-25
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:14:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26109286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UpsideDownCats/pseuds/UpsideDownCats
Summary: After Christopher is expelled from the academy, his father comforts him.
Relationships: Gabriel Lightwood & Christopher Lightwood
Comments: 4
Kudos: 27





	Mistakes

The silence was unbearable. Gabriel didn't know what to say, so he was waiting for Christopher to talk. He normally was the one to fill the quiet, telling him about his recent experiments, or what he had discovered lately. But now, he was just avoiding Gabriel’s gaze, looking like-

Oh. That was who Christopher reminded him of. His own younger self, when his father was disappointed in him. Christopher thought that he was upset.

Gabriel switched sides of the carriage so he was sitting next to, not across from, Christopher. Finally, his son looked up at him, eyes filled with unshed tears. Without a word, Gabriel held out his arms, and Christopher instantly dove into them, burying his head into Gabriel’s chest.

He held Christopher for a long time before saying, “I’m sorry you thought I was upset. I wish I had realized you did earlier, and explained that I wasn’t. Christopher didn’t respond, so Gabriel just pulled him closer.

After a long moment, Christopher moved slightly so that he was still in Gabriel’s arms, but could speak without being muffled. “Why am I like this? What’s wrong with me?”

Gabriel’s heart broke a little at that. “Oh, Christopher, you’re like this so you can help people. There’s nothing wrong with you. It’s like you always say: you want to fix the world. And the world’s too broken for just you to fix, however brilliant you might be, but you can make a difference. You’ll help people, Kit. And someday, you’re going to prove them all wrong. You’re going to save lives. There’s nothing wrong with you, I promise. It's not your fault others can’t see that.”

Christopher sniffled and extracted himself from the embrace to look at Gabriel in the eye. “Thank you, Papa. Thank you”

Smiling, Gabriel said, “I love you Christopher. So, so much. Please remember that.”

“I will. And I love you too.”


End file.
